The present invention relates to a playing machine. It relates more particularly to a playing machine making a player feel as if an automobile is running by moving a mobile body modeling an automobile shape transversely on the obverse surface of a circulating endless belt. It further relates to a playing machine wherein front wheels fitted to the mobile body turn to their moving direction.
Conventionally, there has been provided a playing machine making a player feel as if an automobile is running by moving a mobile body modeling an automobile shape transversely on the obverse surface of a circulating endless belt.
Such a playing machine comprises an endless belt, a guide body and the mobile body.
The above-mentioned endless belt is formed so that it may circulate. Further, on the obverse surface of the endless belt is painted a picture illustrated a road and the like.
Further, the above-mentioned guide body is installed on the reverse side of the endless belt which positions above the guide body, and is formed to move transversely when a player turns a steering wheel. Further, in an upper portion of the guide body is mounted reverse-side attraction means by a magnetic force.
Further, the above-mentioned mobile body is formed to model an automobile shape and is placed on the obverse surface of the endless belt. Further, in a lower portion of the mobile body is mounted obverse-side attraction means which attracts the reverse-side attraction means mounted in the above-mentioned guide body each other by a magnetic force.
Still further, since both the reverse-side attraction means mounted in the guide body and the obverse-side attraction means mounted in the mobile body attract each other by a magnetic force, both the guide body and the mobile body attract each other through the endless belt.
Then, when the player turns the steering wheels to move the guide body transversely, the mobile body moves transversely on the obverse surface of the endless belt according to the movement of the guide body. Accordingly, it seems as if an automobile is actually running.
By the way, in order to increase the reality in the movement of the mobile body, such a playing machines is sometimes formed to make its two front wheels fitted to the mobile body turn to their moving direction as well as an actual automobile.
There has been, however, some problems in the above-mentioned mechanism by which the front wheels turns to their moving direction.
Concretely, the mechanism by which both wheels turn to their moving direction sometimes uses a power source such as a motor. However, the electric cords, which are necessary for supplying electric power to the power source or for controlling the power source, are not of good appearance.
Further, the mechanism by which both wheels turn to their moving direction needs so many constituent parts that it raises the manufacturing cost of the whole playing machine.
Accordingly, a playing machine in the present invention comprises a wheel arm to which both front wheels are connected at positions forward from steering shafts and which moves according to the swing of the front wheels around the steering shafts. The wheel arm is also connected with obverse-side attraction means. Thus, when the reverse-side attraction means moves, the obverse-side attraction means and the wheel arm first move according to the movement of the reverse-side attraction means. At the same time, both front wheels so swing that they turn in their moving direction. Accordingly, the whole mobile body can move according to the movement of the reverse-side attraction means. In this way, it is an object of the present invention to provide a playing machine in which both front wheels can turn in their moving direction without using so many parts.
The present invention is related to a playing machine comprising a circulating endless belt (20), a guide body (30) which is provided at the reverse side of the endless belt (20) and which is formed to be movable upon the operation by a player, and a mobile body (40) which is placed on the obverse surface of the endless belt (20) and which is formed to model an automobile shape; wherein reverse-side attraction means (31) by a magnetic force is mounted at a side of the guide body (30) near to the mobile body (40); obverse-side attraction means (86) by a magnetic force is mounted at a side of the mobile body (40) near to the guide body (30); both the reverse-side attraction means (31) mounted in the guide body (30) and the obverse-side attraction means (86) mounted in the mobile body (40) are formed to attract each other through the endless belt (20); the mobile body (40) is formed to be movable on the obverse surface of the endless belt (20) according to the movement of the guide body (30) upon the operation by the player; the mobile body (40) comprises a body (50), front wheels (43) which are fitted so as to face toward the front both sides of the body (50) and which can swing around steering shafts (70) perpendicular to the obverse surface of the endless belt (20) and a wheel arm (46) to which the both front wheels (43) are connected at positions forward from the steering shafts (70) and which is formed to be movable according to the swing of the front wheels (43) around the steering shafts (70); and the obverse-side attraction means (86) is fitted to the wheel arm (46) and is formed to be movable together with the wheel arm (46).
Here, the xe2x80x9cendless belt (20)xe2x80x9d means a belt whose both ends are bonded to each other to form an annular shape. The endless belt (20) can usually keep its proper tension to circulate by means of one driving roller (21), one guide roller (22) or more and one tension roller (23) or more. An outside surface of the endless belt (20) is regarded as an xe2x80x9cobverse surfacexe2x80x9d and an inner surface a xe2x80x9creverse surfacexe2x80x9d. Further, on the surface of the endless belt (20) is usually painted a picture illustrating a road or the like, and the road appears to change from moment to moment according to the circulating movement of the endless belt (20).
Further, the xe2x80x9cguide body (30)xe2x80x9d means a device which indirectly moves the mobile body (40). The guide body (30) is provided at the reverse side of the endless belt (20) and is formed so as to be movable upon the operation of the player. Further, the reverse-side attraction means (31) is mounted at a side of the guide body (30) near to the mobile body (40).
Further, the xe2x80x9creverse-side attraction means (31)xe2x80x9d is means which attracts the obverse-side attraction means (86) each other by a magnetic force and is made of a magnet or a magnetic substance. Further, the magnet may be a permanent magnet or an electric magnet.
Further, the xe2x80x9cmobile body (40)xe2x80x9d means a device which is placed on the obverse surface of the endless belt (20) and is formed to be movable on the obverse surface of the endless belt (20). The obverse-side attraction means (86) is mounted at a side of the mobile body near to the guide body (30). Further, the mobile body (40) models an automobile shape and comprises the body (50), the front wheels (43), the wheel arm (46) and so on.
Further, the xe2x80x9cobverse-side attraction means (86)xe2x80x9d is means which attracts the reverse-side attraction means (31) each other by a magnetic force and is made of a magnet or a magnetic substance. Further, the magnet may be a permanent magnet or an electric magnet.
Then, since the reverse-side attraction means (31) and the obverse-side attraction means (86) attract each other by a magnetic force, the guide body (30) and the mobile body (40) attract each other through the endless belt (20).
By the way, it is necessary for either or both of the reverse-side attraction means (31) and the obverse-side attraction means (86) to be made of a magnet in order that the both of them attract each other by a magnetic force.
Further, the xe2x80x9cbody (50)xe2x80x9d means a part corresponding to a body of an actual automobile. The body (50) comprises, for example, an upper body (41) and a base frame (42).
Further, the xe2x80x9cfront wheels (43)xe2x80x9d are wheels which are fitted so as to face toward the front both sides of the body (50) and which can swing around the xe2x80x9csteering shafts (70)xe2x80x9d perpendicular to the obverse surface of the endless belt (20). The front wheels (43) are also formed so that they may rotate around xe2x80x9caxles (68)xe2x80x9d parallel to the obverse surface of the endless belt (20).
That is, each front wheel (43) is formed so that it may swing clockwise or counter-clock wise around the steering shafts (70) in a plan view of the body (50) and that it may rotate clockwise or counter-clockwise around the axles (68) in a side view of the body (50).
Further, the xe2x80x9cwheel arm (46)xe2x80x9d means a component to which both-front wheels (43) are connected at positions forward from the steering shafts (70) and which moves together with both front wheels (43).
For example, when both front wheels (43) are fitted to the body (50) through the steering shafts (70) and the hubs (45) with the axles (68), both front wheels (43) may be connected by fitting the wheel arm (46) to the hubs (45). Then, when the wheel arm (46) moves to the right, both front wheels (43) turn to the right. On the other hand, when the wheel arm (46) moves to the left, both front wheels (43) turn to the left.
Further, by connecting the above-mentioned obverse-side attraction means (86) to the wheel arm (46), when the reverse-side attraction means (31) moves, the obverse-side attraction means (86) and the wheel arm (46) first moves according to the movement of the reverse-side attraction means (31) and simultaneously both front wheels (43) turn to their moving direction. Thereafter, the whole mobile body (40) moves according to the movement of the reverse-side attraction means (31).
For example, when the reverse-side attraction means (31) moves to the right, the obverse-side attraction means (86) and the wheel arm (46) first moves to the right according to the movement of the reverse-side attraction means (31) and simultaneously both front wheels (43) turn to the right. Thereafter, the whole mobile body (40) moves to the right according to the reverse-side attraction means (31) due to the relative advance of the mobile body (40) to the circulating endless belt (20).
In this way, by providing with the wheel arm (46) to which the both front wheels (43) are connected at positions forward from the steering shafts (70) and which is formed to be movable according to the swing of the front wheels (43) and by connecting the obverse-side attraction means (86) to the wheel arm (46), it is possible for both front wheels (43) to turn to their moving direction without using so many parts.